New Jersey’s 17th River-Friendly Farm Certification has been awarded to Bernard and Sharon Beatty of BSB Holsteins.  

 

The Beatty’s farm is located in Bethlehem Township, Hunterdon County.   The Beattys grow corn, wheat, soybeans, and alfalfa on their 150 acres of rolling cropland along the Musconetcong River near Asbury. In addition to crops, the couple keeps a few dairy cows at the farm from their former successful dairy operation, and they now also have a small herd of goats.  

 

In the years they have operated their farm, the Beattys have implemented strip-cropping, conservation tillage, cover cropping, and crop rotation, all practices that reduce soil erosion and protect the quality of the river while ensuring the sustained productivity of the farm.

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 “We can’t afford our future if we don’t invest in today,” Bernie Beatty said. Over the past two decades, Bernie and Sharon Beatty have greatly reduced their impact on the watershed and have improved the quality of the Musconetcong River and West Portal Brook by completing a variety of projects on their land, such as installing a stream crossing for livestock, planting a 100 foot wide grass, shrub, and tree buffer along the farm’s waterways, and creating trout habitat within the river. Sixth-generation Hunterdon County dairy farmer Bernie Beatty has been embracing environmental conservation for as long as he can remember.  The recognition for his efforts keeps coming.